2024 New Hampshire debate involving candidates for governor: Affordable housing

2024 New Hampshire debate involving candidates for governor: Affordable housing

DAY AND THE BORDER PATROL THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON THE BORDER UP THERE, CANDIDATES, WE WANT TO MOVE TO ANOTHER TOP ISSUE, AND THAT IS THE ISSUE OF HOUSING. AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONTINUES TO BE A BIG ISSUE HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. APARTMENT VACANCY RATES ARE LOW. LAST YEAR, HALF OF NEW HAMPSHIRE RENTERS PAID MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME FOR RENT. THE MEDIAN PRICE OF A SINGLE FAMILY HOME HIT A RECORD HIGH $520,000. MAYOR CRAIG, YOU’VE TOUTED YOUR RECORD AS MAYOR OF MANCHESTER, EXPANDING RENTAL HOUSING IN THE QUEEN CITY, BUT THE UNITS ARE EXPENSIVE AND THE CITY IS DIFFERENT THAN MANY SMALL TOWNS WHEN IT COMES TO ZONING AND ATTITUDES TOWARD DEVELOPMENT. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ENSURE THAT DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS ACROSS THE STATE AND THAT IT DOES IN FACT, RESULT IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, ADAM. AND YES, IN MANCHESTER, WE HAVE ADDRESSED THIS HOUSING CRISIS. WE NOW HAVE OVER 2000 HOMES AND APARTMENTS IN DEVELOPMENT. AND AS MAYOR, I ALLOCATED OVER $30 MILLION TOWARD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND SO I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE’RE FACING AND CAN WORK WITH OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE WE ARE BUILDING THE HOUSING THAT MEETS THEIR NEEDS. I HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING PLAN THAT I’VE PUT TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, THE STATE SHOULD BE PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WHEN LOOKING AT ZONING ORDINANCE CHANGES. WE SHOULD BE WORKING WITH OUR CITIES AND TOWNS IF THEY DON’T HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER AND SEWER AND HELPING THEM PAY FOR THAT SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY BUILD THE HOUSING THAT THEY NEED. BUT WHILE I’VE BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES OF ADDRESSING THIS HOUSING CRISIS, MY OPPONENT HAS BEEN MAKING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SITTING ON THE CORPORATE BOARD OF BLACKSTONE. THEY BUY PROPERTIES. JACK UP RENTS AND PUSH PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMES. JUST LAST WEEK, THEY HAD AN INVESTOR CALL AND THEY WERE BOASTING ABOUT HOW THE LACK OF HOUSING IS ACTUALLY INCREASING THEIR PROFITS. WE CANNOT TRUST HER WHILE SHE’S PROFITING OFF OF THIS CRISIS TO BUILD THE HOUSING THAT NEW HAMPSHIRE NEEDS. SENATOR 30S. THIS IS SO TYPICAL. SHE ALWAYS ATTACKS THE PRIVATE SECTOR. BUT LET ME BE CLEAR. BLACKSTONE ACTUALLY OWNS LESS THAN 1% OF RENTALS IN THIS COUNTRY. AND IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, TWO HOTELS, ONE STUDENT HOUSING COMPLEX IN DURHAM. SO THAT DOESN’T HAVE TO DO WITH OUR SUPPLY HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. THE HOME BUILDERS HAVE ENDORSED ME. I’M GOING TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AROUND THIS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR AT THE TABLE, ALONG WITH THE STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS, SO THAT WE CAN BUILD MORE HOUSING IN THIS STATE. SENATOR AYOTTE, YOU’VE SAID THAT YOU’LL STREAMLINE THE PERMITTING PROCESS AT THE STATE LEVEL, BUT ADVOCATES SAY IT COMES DOWN TO ZONING ORDINANCES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. OFTENTIMES, IF YOUR INITIAL PROPOSALS DON’T BRING DOWN COSTS STATEWIDE, WOULD YOU WANT THE STATE TO STEP IN IN SOME WAY AND OVERRIDE LOCAL CONTROL IN ANY WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE JOB GETS DONE? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WE HAVE TO. THERE’S TWO PARTS OF THIS PROCESS. YOU HAVE THE STATE PROCESS AND THE LOCAL PROCESS. WE HAVE TO OVERHAUL THE STATE PROCESS BECAUSE TO BUILD ANYTHING IN OUR STATE, YOU HAVE TO GET APPROVAL FROM MULTIPLE AGENCIES. DOT DS FISH AND GAME. AND UNFORTUNATELY, I’VE HEARD STORIES ALREADY FROM HOME BUILDERS THAT PRODUCT PROJECTS ARE LANGUISHING THERE FOR A YEAR. SO WE’RE GOING TO LEAN THAT OUT. WE’RE GOING TO MAKE THAT A 60 DAY PROCESS, AND THEN WE’LL WORK AND WILL PARTNER WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES. WE’RE NOT GOING TO OVERRUN LOCAL COMMUNITIES. WE’LL GET THEM TO THE TABLE WITH INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS. IF THEY NEED WATER OR SEWER SUPPORT OR ROADS TO ADD WORKFORCE HOUSING, THE STATE CAN BE A PARTNER. WE CAN ALSO LOOK AT WHAT THE STATE OWNS AND SEE. ARE THERE BETTER USES FOR SOME OF OUR PROPERTIES THAT COULD BE TURNED TO MUNICIPALITIES, SO THAT THEY CAN PUT THAT OUT FOR HOUSING? WE WILL BRING EVERYONE TO THE TABLE TO GET THIS DONE, BUT IT’S

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2024 New Hampshire debate involving candidates for governor: Affordable housing

At their Granite State Debate, New Hampshire gubernatorial candidates Kelly Ayotte and Joyce Craig discuss how they would boost the availability and development of affordable housing in the state.

At their Granite State Debate, New Hampshire gubernatorial candidates Kelly Ayotte and Joyce Craig discuss how they would boost the availability and development of affordable housing in the state.

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